Energy monitoring appliance provides data for consumption analysis

Opto 22 has expanded the communication and integration capabilities of its OptoEMU Sensor energy monitoring appliance by adding Modbus/TCP and OPC industrial protocol support, Microsoft SQL Server and Access integration, and a new Microsoft .NET developer toolkit, making it easier for facility managers, energy managers, and plant personnel to manage energy usage in their facilities using the hardware, interfaces, protocols, and databases they know and prefer.

The OptoEMU Sensor energy monitoring appliance quickly and easily connects to utility meters, plant equipment, and facility systems to gather real-time facility and equipment energy usage data. The device's communication capabilities have now been expanded to include support for Modbus/TCP, a standard, Ethernet-based industrial communications protocol. This enhancement allows it to perform in any Ethernet-based Modbus architecture without need for translators, software development, or other middleware.

Additionally, it now includes OPC connectivity and can communicate with any OPC client. For example, plant managers and industrial automation personnel can connect to and visualize their energy data using popular SCADA and HMI software packages like Wonderware's InTouch, Intellution's iFix, Iconic's Genesis, and other OPC-aware clients.

In addition to its new communications features, the OptoEMU also offers easier Integration with Opto 22's SNAP PAC System for industrial control, including the ability to visualize real-time energy data with the free PAC Display HMI software package. Sensor data can also be integrated into any PAC Control program for complete facility energy management.

Developers who wish to build their own applications for visualizing data from the Sensor can use a new, free Microsoft .NET toolkit to do so. The device communicates using OptoMMP, an open, Opto 22-developed protocol wrapped into a managed code library that offers programmers an easy way to add energy data to both new and existing applications.

Additionally, IT departments can use Opto 22's OptoDataLink software to post their energy data directly into Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access, MySQL, and other databases. This new option complements the device's ability to deliver energy data to Web-based applications like Google PowerMeter and Pulse Energy's Pulse, and provides yet another way to aggregate data in a central repository where it can be used to help understand energy usage, pinpoint problems, and reduce costs.